Legal Careers
Law Student Volunter Intern (Summer 2020)
Suite 900
Houston, TX 77002 - United States
The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is an agency within the United States Department of Justice. Under delegated authority from the Attorney General, EOIR administers the nation’s immigration court system. The primary mission of EOIR is to adjudicate immigration cases by fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly interpreting and administering the Nation’s immigration laws. EOIR’s Office of the Chief Immigration Judge (OCIJ) has more than 400 immigration judges who conduct administrative court proceedings, called removal proceedings, in 58 immigration courts nationwide.
The jurisdiction of U.S. Immigration Courts includes all matters brought before the Court by the Department of Homeland Security. The judges preside over formal immigration hearings to determine whether noncitizens are deportable, excludable, inadmissible, or removable from the United States. In addition, the judges have jurisdiction to consider various forms of discretionary and mandatory relief, including waivers, adjustment of status, cancellation of removal, asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the U.N. Convention Against Torture.
As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.
The U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review, is seeking a first or second-year law student to participate in a volunteer internship at the Houston Immigration Court, located in downtown Houston, Texas. This internship offers an opportunity to develop research and writing skills and an understanding of immigration law and procedure, as it relates to removal and deportation issues. The intern will become familiar with the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Code of Federal Regulations, and immigration case law set forth by the Board of Immigration Appeals, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.
The intern will perform duties such as: listening to recorded hearings, writing memoranda of law, and drafting written decisions. The intern will be expected to produce work product that is (1) well-written, (2) well-researched, and (3) meets the judges’ deadlines. Also, the intern will have the opportunity to observe immigration court hearings.
All applicants must be United States citizens and must successfully complete an FBI background check before beginning this internship. Strong research and writing skills are required. Prior knowledge of immigration law is not required but highly recommended. The chosen intern is expected to work a minimum of 35-40 hours per week for a minimum of 10 weeks, though exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. on January 24, 2020. However, please note that interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis and applicants are strongly encouraged to apply prior to the deadline. Although the internship is unpaid, interns may obtain academic credit with the permission of their law schools.
Any law student enrolled at least half-time, and who has completed at least one semester of law school is eligible to apply for volunteer internship positions at any time. First-year law students who have not completed their first semester may apply for volunteer internships after December 1. Part-time law students and joint-degree candidates may also apply for volunteer internship positions. Law school graduation terminates eligibility for volunteer positions except for graduate law students who are enrolled at least half time and not practicing law.
Interested applicants should submit (BY E-MAIL ONLY) a cover letter, resume, transcript, and a writing sample no longer than ten (10) pages to Attorney Advisor, Catherine Nguyen at catherine.nguyen@usdoj.gov, cc’ing houstonintern@usdoj.gov.
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Department Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex - including gender identity, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status - or because of age (over 40), physical or mental disability, protected genetic information, parental status, marital status, political affiliation, or any other non-merit based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.
Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.
Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.
Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that their retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that they were transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).
USAO Residency Requirement: Assistant United States Attorneys must reside in the district to which appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district specific information.
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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.